St. Joseph Center in the News
St. Joseph Center works with local and national media to share news about our mission to address homelessness and poverty in the community. If you are interested in conducting media coverage of St. Joseph Center, please get in touch with us at publicrelations@stjosephctr.org.
- Joi Richardson, VP of External Affairs & Communications — jrichardson@stjosephctr.org
- Ty Andrews, Senior Communications Specialist — tyandrews@stjosephctr.org
Declining Homelessness Is Now A Trend In Los Angeles County
For the second year in a row, unsheltered homelessness is down across Los Angeles County and the City of L.A., beyond the margin of error. This is good news—and it matters. According to the newly released 2025 LAHSA Point-in-Time Count, unsheltered homelessness has declined by 9.5% countywide and 7.9% in the city, signaling real progress in the effort to move people off the streets and into stable housing. This marks the first sustained drop since the count began in 2005.
The good news continues closer to home. A new RAND study shows that homelessness is also declining in Venice, where St. Joseph Center serves as the lead for the Coordinated Entry System (CES). According to LAHSA’s count, on the Westside (SPA 5), homelessness has dropped more than 25% over the past two years, with additional decreases in South LA and Central LA, two other communities where we provide vital services.
Homelessness declined last year in Hollywood and Venice, but not Skid Row, new Rand study finds
A new Rand report shows a decrease in homeless encampments in parts of LA, but highlights the persistent challenge of individuals “rough sleeping.”
Read more about the shifting landscape of homelessness in the city.
Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services
In this compelling episode of Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services, Dr. Ryan Smith, President and CEO of St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles, shares his personal history of youth homelessness and how that lived experience shaped his mission to create a more compassionate and effective homeless services system.
From the influence of his mother to his first job as a youth organizer at 15, Dr. Smith recounts the journey that led him to lead one of LA’s most impactful service organizations. He walks us through the four foundational pillars of St. Joseph Center—Housing, Outreach, Mental Health, and Economic Mobility—and explains why investing in frontline workers and replicating programs like Santa Monica College’s Homeless Services Certificate are essential to ending homelessness.
This episode is both a call to action and a testament to the power of care, dignity, and workforce development in driving sustainable change.
Dr. Ryan J. Smith Shares Vision of Radical Love and Community at Mount St. Mary's Commencement
Wildfires Expose Safety, Logistical Risks for LA County's Unhoused
By Aron Schrank
As wildfires tear through Los Angeles County, tens of thousands of unhoused residents face a cascade of risks: toxic air they can’t filter, emergency alerts they can’t receive, and evacuation orders they struggle to follow.
Fox 11 News In Depth: Chef Cristela and Chef Brian Find Community at St. Joseph Center's Bread and Roses Café
In this insightful segment, Fox 11 News highlights the incredible work being done at St. Joseph Center’s Bread and Roses Café to combat food insecurity in LA. Chef Cristela Alvarado and Chef Brian Beasley share their stories as culinary program graduates and the meaningful impact of this transformative program.
Full Story: https://vimeo.com/1044733685
Interviews: https://youtu.be/REKCk7ueUl4